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Chinese Folktale: The Little Rabbits

This video features the Chinese story "The Little Rabbits" in both English and Chinese. The story has elements of the Western stories “Little Red Riding Hood” and “The Three Little Pigs.” Mama rabbit leaves her three little rabbits at home alone while she goes out. She warns her little rabbits to not open the door for anyone. A wolf overhears the mother’s warning and tries to trick the little rabbits. They aren’t fooled and outsmart the wolf.

Storytelling in China goes back more than a thousand years and plays an important role in Chinese society. It has been used as a way to preserve culture and share knowledge as stories are passed from generation to generation.

Storytelling in China goes back more than a thousand years and plays an important role in Chinese society. It has been used as a way to preserve culture and share knowledge as stories are passed from generation to generation.

The Chinese story “The Little Rabbits” has elements that might remind students of the Western stories “Little Red Riding Hood” and “The Three Little Pigs.” A mother rabbit leaves her three little rabbits at home alone while she goes out to get food. She warns her little rabbits to not open the door for anyone unless they hear her singing at the door. However, a clever wolf overhears the mother’s warning and tries to trick the little rabbits by singing the mother’s song. The little rabbits aren’t fooled easily and ask the wolf to stick his tail in the door to prove that he is their mother. As soon as the little rabbits see the wolf’s tail they slam the door. The wolf yelps in pain and runs off. The mother rabbit returns with carrots for her little rabbits and finds that they outsmarted the wolf.

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